Almanac Rugby League

The Almanac Rugby league Crew

If you’d like to publish a rugby league story on The Footy Almanac website, please contact Ian Hauser.

 

If you’d like to join the Footy Almanac’s rugby league email list to receive our regular
Thursday updates during the season and occasional updates in the off-season, contact John Harms in the first instance.

 

The Footy Almanac’s coverage of rugby league features a team of four regular columnists:

Ian Hauser provides a round by round preview/review and comments on specific players/incidents.
Matt O’Hanlon (Prop by the Sea) offers a quirky take of the week’s happenings on and off the field.
Mark Shannon (The Prospector) comments on various issues in the code, both historical and current.
Russel Hansen (Rabbit in the Vineyard) gives a specific take on South Sydney’s progress.

as well as numerous other occasional contributors.

Our collection of articles appears below. The first article was published in 2010.

 

Almanac Rugby League – St George Illawarra Dragons vs Sydney Roosters

Not long into our relationship, my girlfriend asked what I would choose if I had to decide between music and sport. Not wanting to even consider a world without either, I had no answer for her at the time. Later however, when in a more contemplative state of mind, I decided that it had to [Read more]

Almanac Rugby League – The Longest Month

For Panthers fans everywhere, April has been a long and heartless month. In the leadup to tonight’s match against Newcastle, Penrith are still yet to score a point on the Rugby League field in the month of April. Not a try or goal; not even a solitary field goal to show for their efforts. A [Read more]

Almanac Rugby League – Rosemary and Football

At the door to my (outside) study, there is a healthy rosemary bush. It usually reminds me of happy times: roast dinners, especially, which the kids look forward to. “Can you get me some rosemary please?” I ask Theo, the oldest, as I start clattering trays from the oven. And thus begins the process of [Read more]

Almanac Rugby League – Another Kind of Heaven

The highest individual honour in Northern Territory Rugby League is the Frank Johnson Medal and is awarded to the Best and Fairest player in the Darwin Rugby League. Frank Johnson was a tireless servant of the game. Originally playing seniors for the Port Kembla Blacks in the Illawarra at the age of 16 he quickly [Read more]

Almanac Rugby League – Getting to the heart of the matter with the Seconds

Longevity and loyalty. Priceless virtues, they are the cornerstone of bush footy. And if you really want to see the type of bloke that lives and breathes country rugby league, the character that epitomizes the game’s ethos, just get to the ground early and check out the reserve graders – the ‘reggies’ – go round. [Read more]

Almanac Rugby League – Rabbitoh in the vineyard

  RABBITOH IN THE VINEYARD – PART 1 NRL RND 5: SOUTH SYDNEY v WESTS TIGERS As one of the thousands of long suffering South Sydney members, I am well accustomed to false dawns, and a general uneasiness whenever the Bunnies go into any match as favourites – whether with the TAB, and / or [Read more]

Almanac Rugby League – Capitulation

By way of a demonstration, I have decided to write tonight’s match report showing a degree of commitment, enthusiasm and attenchun to detale equivalent to that displayed by Penrith. The End. Manly 30 (Buhrer, Williams 2, Matai, Watmough tries, Lyons 5/7 goals, Cherry-Evans 0/1 field goals) def Penrith 0. Venue: Brookvale Oval Referees:Gerard Sutton, Henry [Read more]

Almanac Rugby League – NRL Round 5, 2012: Brisbane vs St George Illawarra

Thank god for Andrew Voss. That’s not a statement I ever thought I would find myself typing, but after a month of ruined Friday nights courtesy of Ray Hadley’s execrable commentary, hearing the dulcet tones of Vossy, everyone’s 17th favourite sports caller, came as a welcome relief. If, as has been suggested, Hadley is viewed [Read more]

Almanac Rugby League – Panthers Ace Eels

On the night before Penrith’s clash with Parramatta, I played my weekly tennis match with my friend Michael, a fellow Footy Almanac scribe and devoted Parramatta fan. At the time, I wondered if our match would foreshadow the result of the Parramatta v Penrith clash. The first set was won comfortably by me, which I [Read more]

Almanac Rugby League – NZ Warriors v Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs

  by Basil Naimet Going to NZ to play the Warriors is always…well… a worry! The boys is blue and white had nothing to worry about though. They had the match under control from the opening whistle. Good tries by Barba, Turner and Wright got the Dogs barking. Not even a resounding onslaught from the Warriors [Read more]